Hansi Flick is hoping for a profitable homecoming as Barcelona play at Camp Nou for the primary time in 2026, although he desires his aspect to remain targeted for the total 90 minutes.
Sunday’s contest in opposition to Actual Oviedo can be Barcelona’s first sport at dwelling because the flip of the yr.
The Blaugrana head into it having surrendered first place in LaLiga to Actual Madrid, who beat Villarreal 2-0 on Saturday.
In each their 2-1 defeat to Actual Sociedad in LaLiga and their 4-2 win over Slavia Praha within the Champions League, Flick’s aspect shipped the opening aim – a problem he acknowledges as a urgent concern.
“We’re again dwelling and we need to win,” Flick stated.
“Recently, the opposition have all the time scored first, and we need to keep away from that. We’ve made some errors, and that’s why the targets have come. Maybe we have to be extra targeted, for the total 90 minutes.
“Groups defend with every little thing they’ve received in opposition to us. Defending is extra sophisticated. We now have to be ready. We’ve talked about it, and now we have to do it.”
Flick additionally defended his aspect’s midweek efficiency in opposition to Slavia, with Fermin Lopez, Dani Olmo, and Robert Lewandowski netting to seal victory.
“We don’t have a lot time to coach [set pieces], however we’ve talked about it. In Prague, it was totally different. I don’t need to make excuses, however it was very chilly they usually had very tall gamers,” he added.
“It’s essential to be well-positioned, and we’ve mentioned it. At Barca, we don’t normally have tall gamers, however they’ve all the time been in a position to handle it.”
Hansi Flick: ““We’ve made some errors and that’s why we’ve conceded targets. We now have to remain extra targeted all through the total 90 minutes. We’ve talked about it and we’ll do it.” pic.twitter.com/T1xdLCzh4x
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 24, 2026
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Barcelona – Lamine Yamal
Yamal leads the help charts in LaLiga this season, having supplied eight.
Solely Michael Olise and Mohamed Salah have registered extra assists than Yamal’s 21 throughout the 5 large European leagues because the begin of the 2024-25 marketing campaign.
Actual Oviedo – Federico Vinas
Federico Vinas has scored in his final two LaLiga matches for Actual Oviedo (one aim in opposition to Alaves and one in opposition to Osasuna).
He might grow to be simply the third participant to attain in three consecutive video games within the competitors for the Asturian aspect this century, after Jaime and Oli each did so again in 2001.
MATCH PREDICTION: BARCELONA WIN
Barcelona have received seven of their final 9 dwelling video games in opposition to Oviedo in LaLiga (D1 L1), shedding the latest one 0-1 in Could 2001. They’ve by no means misplaced consecutive dwelling conferences in opposition to the Asturian aspect within the historical past of LaLiga.
The Blaugrana can be relishing a return to the Camp Nou, having received every of their final 9 dwelling video games in LaLiga. The final time they recorded 10 or extra dwelling wins within the competitors underneath the identical supervisor was in December 2019 with Ernesto Valverde (W14).
After choosing up a 3-1 victory in opposition to Oviedo within the reverse fixture on the Carlos Tartiere in September, Barca might do the double over them for the primary time since 1995-96.
Oviedo, although, have received 4 of their final 9 matches in opposition to Barcelona in LaLiga (L5) – the identical variety of victories they managed of their earlier 24 encounters with the Blaugrana within the competitors (W4 D6 L14).
Guillermo Almada’s aspect, nevertheless, are winless of their final 13 league matches (D7 L6) and have collected solely 13 factors from 20 video games this season (W2 D7 L11).
The final 11 groups to have managed 13 or fewer factors at this stage of a LaLiga season have been relegated, with Actual Zaragoza in 2011-12 (12 factors, W2 D6 L12, sixteenth on the finish) being the final such aspect to keep away from the drop.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Barcelona – 81.6%
Draw – 11.1%
Actual Oviedo – 7.3%
